Test Astra with a test call
You test Astra from the Test call section of the AI agent screen: once the agent is published and connected to a number, call that number from any phone and Astra picks up — or click Ask Astra to call and have Astra ring your phone.
Before you start
- Your agent must be published — a draft never answers calls.
- A number must be connected to the agent — from the agent's Schedule section, or in Settings → Numbers (click the number's cube, then turn on AI receptionist). With several agents, the Test call tab lists every way to reach the selected one: its numbers, "Press 2 on +1 (…)" for a phone-menu key, and call-flow lines.
- The agent must be Live (not turned off), and the call must arrive within the hours you set.
Step-by-step
Click the AI agent icon in the left sidebar, open your agent (click its card if you have several), then open the Test call section.
The greeting bubble at the top shows the first thing a caller will hear — check it reads the way you want.
If everything is set up, the tab shows "Call this number from any phone" with your connected number. Dial it from your cell phone.
Talk to Astra like a customer would: ask about your hours, try to book, ask something that's not in your knowledge base to hear how it declines gracefully.
Afterward, open the Inbox — the call appears with a recording, transcript, and summary so you can review exactly how it went.
Or have Astra call you
Prefer to be on the receiving end? Below the connected number the tab has a Have Astra call you card:
- Click Ask Astra to call.
- Enter your cell number under NUMBER TO CALL and click Place the call.
- Your phone rings from your business number; answer and talk to Astra. The call lands in the Inbox like any other Astra call.
This is a normal outbound Astra call (100 AI credits for a conversation, 10 if you hang up within 15 seconds, free if nobody answers) — the same button lives on the Calls screen for real customer call-backs. See Have Astra place an outbound call.
If the tab shows a warning instead
- "Your agent is still a draft" — click Publish at the top of the AI agent screen, then connect a number in Settings → Numbers.
- "No number is connected to it yet" — open the agent's Schedule section (or click the amber No line for calls chip in the status bar) and click Use schedule on a number, or go to Settings → Numbers, click the number's cube and turn on AI receptionist.
- "The agent is turned off" — flip the badge next to the title to Live before calling.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a test call cost anything?
A live test call uses real minutes like any other call. AI-answered calls under 15 seconds don't use AI credits, so a quick greeting check is credit-free.
Can I test before publishing?
You can preview your greeting text in the Test call section anytime, but hearing Astra live requires publishing the agent and connecting a number first.
Can Astra call me instead of me calling it?
Yes — in the Test call section, under Have Astra call you, click Ask Astra to call, enter your cell number and click Place the call. Astra dials you from your business line.